Ratatouille (2007)

Disney PIXARS 2007 film, Ratatouille, is a film that transcends the limits of human relationships. The beginning of the film is a slow build into a deep plot that follows the protagonist (Remy), who has a dream that goes against what is expected of him.

His ambitions are made abundantly clear and as Remy climbs the hierarchical job ladder of a Parisian restaurant we are all kept on the edge of our seats. In his mind, the only thing between him and his end goals is his family and friends- his father, a patriarchal figure, does not believe that Remy should be doing the cooking, and his deadbeat brother does nothing but disappoint. Remy, on the other hand highlights the constant rhetoric of “anyone can cook”, challenging both the order of society and the patriarchal figure in his life, therefor challenging everything he has been taught. “Anyone can cook” sits heavily in both the audiences and the characters mind. As the film reaches a climax we become attached to Remy in a way I could only possibly liken to the relationship between a mother and their child.

Director, Brad Bird, is one of the best minds in the film industry- he gave justice to our little rat and really highlighted the ongoing criticism of consumerism and capitalism. The film discusses greed, money, prejudice and, of course, love. Ratatouille does not only show the stereotypical heterosexual relationship love but also between a man and his friend. Luckily for us, Brad Bird did not fall down the same obvious well as director Steve Hickner, who directed Bee Movie, and Linguini (a human) and Remy (a rat) remained friends for the ¾’s of the film that they are in each other’s company. Reassuring the audience that romantic love is not always the most valuable sector of love and sometimes all you need is a little help from your friends.

In conclusion, Ratatouille is one of the forgotten gems of our century. If you haven’t seen it I cannot recommend it enough. Look out for deeper meanings and you wont be left unsatisfied!